


The Double Date

by gxldenskyes



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25204402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gxldenskyes/pseuds/gxldenskyes
Summary: What do you do when you’re told to act normal? You introduce yourself to others as your best friend’s son’s dad of course!
Relationships: Haresh Chandra/Gita Chandra, Tenth Doctor/Sarah Jane Smith
Comments: 14
Kudos: 35





	1. Luke’s What?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you do when you’re told to act normal? You introduce yourself to others as your best friend’s son’s dad of course!

Luke, Clyde and Rani laughed as they walked out of school and into the playground. It was the end of the day and they were happy to be finally out of school for the day. They weren't talking about anything too important when Luke noticed the taller, brunette man with the long trench coat looking at him from outside the school grounds. Luke stopped. It can't be? What was he doing here? What was wrong now? Was his mum okay?

"Luke?" Rani looked back to Luke, "Are you alright?"

"Look." Luke said, still facing the man who was looking right back at him.

Clyde and Rani turned their heads. They could not believe it.

"That's..." Clyde turned back to Luke in disbelief, "That's the Doctor! What's he doing here?"

"I don't know but I've not got a good feeling about it." Luke replied.

"Why?" Rani asked, "He might just be here for a visit. It's about time he paid your mum a visit once in a while."

"Rani, think about it. The last time we saw him was when mum was getting married and that didn't exactly go to plan." Luke replied, "There must be something wrong."

Before Clyde or Rani could say anything else, Luke marched over to the Doctor. Clyde and Rani tried to catch up with Luke but found themselves almost running behind him. When Luke reached the Doctor, the Doctor's face softened and he smiled to Luke.

"Lukey boy!" The Doctor exclaimed as he held out his arms.

"Where's mum?" Luke asked.

"Well, that's a new way of saying hello." The Doctor replied.

"Answer the question, Doctor." Luke looked up to the taller man, "Where's mum?"

"Well, I assume she's either at home or doing whatever she does when you're at school." The Doctor replied, "I, nor have any other aliens zapped her to another planet. I think you would know about that one."

"Then why are you here?" Luke asked. Clyde and Rani could not help but slightly cringe at Luke's approach of seeming threatening to the Doctor.

"For a visit. I thought I'd pop in all of you. Make sure you're not getting up to too much trouble."

"Hold on," Clyde stepped forward, "By the way, Doctor, very nice to see you again but you don't just 'pop in'." Clyde couldn't help but feel a little suspicious too. He could not blame Luke for the way he was feeling, especially after what happened with the wedding, "Are you sure we're not heading to impending doom?"

"No, of course not!" The Doctor put his hands in his pockets, "Am I not allowed to visit my friends?"

"So there's nothing going on?" Rani asked.

"Nothing at all." The Doctor shook his head, "Unless there is something going on and you're not telling me."

The three teenagers looked at each other before looking back to the Doctor. They all shook their heads.

"Right then, why don't we go into town?" The Doctor asked, "My treat."

"Wait, surely you would want to go see mum first?" Luke asked.

"I wanna surprise her and I also wanna surprise you lot. A late lunch, come on, my treat."

Before the three could say anything, the conversation was interrupted.

"Rani?" Haresh shouted from behind them.

"Oh no." Rani turned to look at her father. She smiled and waved to Haresh but then turned back to the Doctor and said: "Be normal please."

"Why do I have to be normal? You've got boy wonder and Krusty the Clown here." The Doctor huffed.

"Because you're the one who's got two hearts and is over nine hundred years old." Clyde turned before processing what the Doctor called him, "I'm also not Krusty the Clown! I liked to think of myself more as a comedian, thank you. A Chris Rock or even Russell Howard."

"Well, you're definitely not Billy Connolly." The Doctor said under his breath but was hit on the chest by Luke as Haresh approached them.

"Hi, Mr. Chandra." Luke smiled, hoping the Doctor wouldn't act out too much.

"Hello, Luke." Haresh smiled before nodding to Clyde, "Clyde."

"Afternoon, sir." Clyde grinned.

"Do you need a lift for me or you walking home?" Haresh turned to his daughter.

"Oh, no thanks, dad." Rani smiled, "We're actually gonna head into town for a bit. Late lunch and all that."

"Oh okay, don't eat too much though or you won't manage your dinner. Mum's cooking tonight and she won't be happy if you don't finish it." Haresh told Rani before the two chuckled. He then looked up to the Doctor and smiled, holding out his hands, "I'm sorry, I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Haresh Chandra, Rani's father and headteacher of ParkVale."

"Doctor John Smith." The Doctor smiled as he shook Haresh's hand, "Luke's dad."

The three teens looked at one another. Luke's what?! What did he say? They weren't sure they heard that right. Did the Doctor just say that he was Luke's dad? Why didn't he just say he was his uncle or a friend of Sarah Jane's instead of saying he was his father? Luke, Clyde and Rani looked at each other with wide eyes, all in disbelief at what he just said.

"Oh really?" Haresh was surprised. He'd never heard much about Luke's father and it was great to finally put a face to the person, "It's nice to finally meet you. Luke, you never told us that your dad was coming to see you."

"Oh well, um," Luke had to go with the flow, "It was all a bit sudden really. Dad's been travelling a lot with work so he, um, just decided to come home to see us." He nervously chuckled before nudging the Doctor's arm, "Isn't that right, dad?"

"Sure is, son." The Doctor nodded. Rani and Clyde silently cringed at how they were acting.

"What do you do?" Haresh asked.

"Oh, I'm a scientist." The Doctor replied, "I'm a scientific advisor for," The teens knew he was going to mention UNIT so he had to come up with something quick, "For the government."

"Oh, how very interesting. I guess that's where Luke gets his scientific brain from, huh?" Haresh chuckled, "Well, I'll best let you all head off then."

"Yes." Rani nodded before kissing her dad on the cheek, "Bye, dad."

"Bye, Rani. Be careful please." Haresh said.

"We will." Rani called back to her dad before leading the three out of the school grounds.

"Bye, Mr. Chandra." Luke waved.

"Bye, sir." Clyde said.

"See you tomorrow, boys." Haresh replied, "Very nice meeting you, John."

"And you, Haresh." The Doctor waved and soon, they all left the school grounds.

As the four walked away, Clyde looked up to the Doctor.

"Luke's dad?" Clyde asked, "Are you serious?"

"It was the first thing I could think of." The Doctor shrugged.

"Oh boy." Rani sighed as she rolled her eyes.

"You two told me to act normal." The Doctor turned to Rani, "What was I supposed to say?"

"Not that!" Luke said, "What will mum say?"

Rani stopped in her tracks. Something very bad just came to mind.

"Oh no." Rani said to herself, "Oh no."

"What?" Clyde turned, panicking now, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Rani looked up. Her eyes were wide with fear.

"What if my dad tells my mum?"

\- - -

"I'm home." Haresh stepped into the house. He took off his suit jacket and put his briefcase down, "Gita?"

"In here." Gita shouted from the kitchen.

Haresh headed through and smiled to see Gita arranging the flowers on the dining table.

"Hello, my darling." Gita smiled as Haresh kissed her cheek, "How was your day?"

"Good. Not very eventful." Haresh replied as he went to the fruit bowl and grabbed an apple, "What about you?"

"Same." Gita nodded, "Where's Rani?"

"Oh, her and the boys are heading into town for a late lunch with Luke's dad."

Gita stopped in her tracks. Luke's what?! No. Haresh couldn't be serious. Luke's dad was here? Finally, Gita was getting the chance to see Luke's dad and know who he is. Gita always had a theory that it was that doctor that Martin Trueman talked about in his zodiac show when he came to Sarah Jane. She remembered the man who ran in at Sarah Jane's wedding to Peter but then both men somehow disappeared. Was it him? Probably but he seemed a little younger. Not by too much though, Sarah Jane did have a very youthful face.

"Luke's dad?" Gita turned, a big grin on her face.

"Yeah." Haresh nodded.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Gita asked.

"Yes, Gita, I am." Haresh replied, taking another bite of his apple.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Gita exclaimed, clapping her hands, "Finally, I'll get to see what he's like. What does he look like? No, in fact, don't tell me, I want it to be a surprise. Oh, I better go see Sarah when she gets home."

"Well, I don't know if she knows he's back." Haresh explained, "Luke did say he had been travelling, I'm assuming with his work, so I don't know if it's a surprise visit. We don't even know the terms that him and Sarah Jane are on. You know, I think your theory about Luke's dad being the guy that Martin Trueman talked about is right. He's a doctor as well. A science doctor though."

"And he and Sarah went travelling a lot. I wonder what happened that made them split." Gita was deep in her thoughts, "Did you ask if they were back together?"

"No, I didn't. I didn't even know the man existed, Gita."

"Oh, Haresh. How else would have Luke got here? I'll need to see Sarah."

"Gita, I think we should stay out of things. It's not our place to pry."

"Oh come now, Haresh. I'm not prying. I'm checking up on a friend. I think Sarah will love these carnations, don't you?"

Haresh rolled his eyes. He knew there was no stopping his wife when it came to gossip. Gita was harmless but she could be a little a careless with her words and Haresh hoped that she wouldn't say the wrong thing when talking to Sarah Jane about this type of stuff.

Haresh watched as Gita rushed around the kitchen, arranging the carnations for Sarah Jane. When she was done, she kept near the front window as she kept an eye on Sarah Jane coming home. Finally, the mint green Nissan Figaro pulled into the street and went up the drive at number thirteen.

"Oh, she's back!" Gita said excitedly. She picked up the flowers and headed to the door, "Won't be long, my darling."

"Right." Was all Haresh could say. He couldn't help but be very nervous for Gita right now.

Sarah Jane got out the car, shutting the door behind her. She had just come back from doing a story and wasn't really thinking about much else. Until she heard Gita.

"Sarah?" Gita cooed over the street.

"Sarah Jane." Sarah Jane muttered under her breath for what felt like the millionth time.

"Hello, my darling." Gita smiled over to her, a big wave as she carried the wrapped up carnations. Gita wore a big grin on her face, it was almost mischievous and Sarah Jane couldn't deny that it made her feel a little anxious.

"Hi, Gita." Sarah Jane turned to her, "Oh, those are lovely flowers."

"They're for you."

"They are?"

"Yes. I thought that maybe you'd like a change from those orchids I gave you the other week."

Gita was onto something. Sarah Jane knew it. It wasn't hard to figure out where Rani got her nosiness from. It was pretty clear where and who she got it from.

"Oh well, thank you, Gita." Sarah Jane said as Gita handed the flowers to her.

"You're welcome." Gita replied. Now was the time to ask. She just had to dress it up like she suddenly had remembered it, "Oh, Haresh met Luke's dad at school today? You didn't tell me you were back with him."

Sarah Jane looked at Gita with a very confused expression. Luke's what?! Luke's dad? Was she being serious or was Gita pulling her leg? No, surely Gita would not joke about that. But didn't she know that Luke was adopted?

"Well, um." Sarah Jane wanted to speak but she was stuck for words. Almost on cue, Luke, Clyde, Rani and the Doctor- wait? The Doctor? What the hell was he doing here? Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Hi, mum!" Luke bounced over to Sarah Jane, kissing her cheek, "Hello, Mrs. Chandra. Are these your flowers?"

"Well, yes but they're your mum's now." Gita smiled, "Do you like them?"

"Yeah, they're very pretty." Luke smiled up to Gita.

"Thank you, Luke. I do take a lot of pride in my flowers." Gita grinned. She then turned to the Doctor. She held out her hand, "Gita Chandra, you must be Luke's dad, huh?"

"Yes. John Smith." The Doctor smiled as he shook his hand. He could feel Sarah Jane's eyes burning into him. Gita was totally oblivious to the tension between everyone else, "Very nice to meet you."

"And you." Gita smiled, "You know, I feel like I've seen you before."

"Really?" The Doctor asked, "I do get around quite a bit, I have to say."

Sarah Jane let out a sarcastic chuckle. Thankfully, Gita didn't notice it.

"Yeah, it's uncanny." Gita said, "It could just be that you and Luke are very similar."

The Doctor and Luke looked at one another with strange looks. Sarah Jane joined them though she didn't really want to look at the Doctor right now.

Rani knew what Gita was really getting at. She remembered her mother talking about the Doctor running into Sarah Jane's wedding. She also remembered the theory that Gita had cooked up about him being Luke's dad. Rani knew it was time to try and get Gita home now.

"We better get in, mum." Rani walked over to her mum, taking her arm, "Remember Big Brother's on tonight."

"It's not on until nine, Rani." Gita chuckled.

"I know, but I'd rather get in and get everything sorted before watching it." Rani started to guide her mother out of the driveway, "Luke, I'll be over for that textbook in a minute."

"Okay." Luke nodded.

"Bye, Gita."

"Bye!"

Sarah Jane headed inside, not even acknowledging the Doctor. Luke followed on and left Clyde and the Doctor standing on the drive for a moment.

"She's annoyed, isn't she?" The Doctor looked at Clyde.

"I think just a bit." Clyde nodded. He then tapped his shoulder, "Come on, you better make it up to your missus."

"Boy, if I haven't heard that a million times."

Clyde and the Doctor headed inside. They went through to the kitchen and were met with Luke sitting at the dining table. Sarah Jane was at the bunker, fiddling about with the flowers.

"That was nice of Gita to give you those flowers, eh?" Clyde walked over to Sarah Jane as he looked at the flowers, "What flowers are they?"

"Carnations." Sarah Jane replied quietly.

"They symbolise love, admiration and good fortune." The Doctors added. Sarah Jane bit her tongue.

"I don't really believe in that stuff." Clyde shook his head, scrunching his nose slightly.

"You don't have to believe it when it exists, Clyde." Luke laughed.

Clyde just made a face at his best friend.

"Luke?" Rani said from the hall.

"In here." Luke replied.

"Hiya." Rani stepped into the kitchen. She could already feel the tension. She could cut it with a knife.

"Luke, why don't you three head up to the attic?" Sarah Jane turned, crossing her arms.

"Okay." Luke got up from the table. He tapped Clyde's shoulder, "Come on. We could get Mr. Smith to show us NASA's Mars Rover."

"Aww, wicked." Clyde grinned and the three left the kitchen.

Sarah Jane stayed at the bunker, her back still to the Doctor. The Doctor felt bad for putting Sarah Jane in this situation but he couldn't think of much else to say when Clyde and Rani told him to be normal. He put his hands in his pockets, moving slowly towards her. He watched as Sarah Jane sighed and it was the first time in a long time that he had been this nervous.

"Sarah?" The Doctor said quietly.

Sarah Jane just turned to him. She crossed her arms and wore a very stern look on her face. The Doctor stopped as he looked down to her and didn't really know what to say.

"What... possessed you to say that to Haresh?" Sarah Jane asked.

"I didn't mean it. I didn't know what to say when he came over."

"You could have just said you were a friend of mine. Christ, it's not that hard. Now, Gita thinks we're a couple and is giving me flowers. She'll be doing flowers for our wedding next."

"Well, hopefully, she'll have some left over from your last wedding." The Doctor tried a joke.

Sarah Jane turned and slapped his cheek. The Doctor was shocked. He didn't realise how much it would hurt her.

"That is not funny and you know that!" Sarah Jane said, trying to hold back tears. She was still quite raw from the wedding and losing Peter.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor tried, "It was a stupid joke. I am sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood." The Doctor rubbed his cheek, "That was sore, Sarah. Have you been practicing that?"

"Oh, Doctor." Sarah Jane rolled her eyes before she turned back to the sink.

The Doctor paused as he heard a sniffle come from Sarah Jane. Her shoulders shuddered a little, her arms wrapped around herself. The Doctor didn't realise the extent of how upset she was but he knew her and knew how she would have bottled up her emotions to be okay for the kids.

"Sarah?"

A sob escaped Sarah Jane's lips. She brought her hand up to her mouth, slightly hunching over as she cried. The Doctor took her into his arms, her face was buried in his chest as she cried. The Doctor stroked her hair, trying to soothe her.

"Shh, it's okay." The Doctor held her tightly, "It's okay. I'm sorry."

"Oh, Doctor." Sarah Jane said, looking down at the floor, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be like this."

"It's okay." The Doctor replied, "I should have been here to see you. You bubble up your emotions too much, Sarah Jane." He cupped her cheek, "Are you alright?"

Sarah Jane just nodded. He wiped her tears with his thumbs. He smiled down to her, kissing her head and took her hands, guiding her to the round dining table near the door.

"I'll make some tea." The Doctor said quietly.

Sarah Jane just nodded. The Doctor made the tea and brought it over to the table. He joined her, both taking sips quietly.

"Thanks." Sarah Jane smiled. She remembered how much she loved the Doctor's tea.

"You're welcome." The Doctor replied. They took another sip quietly. The Doctor looked up to Sarah Jane as she looked down at the tea, almost vacant as looked at the cup. He knew she was deep in her thoughts and he still felt horrible about what he said. He took her hand that made her look up to him, "I am sorry, you know."

"It doesn't matter." Sarah Jane shook her head. She looked back to his hand. His hand was cold but still had a warmth to it. She started to chuckle, rubbing her forehead with her other hand, "Why did you say you were Luke's dad?"

"Rani and Clyde told me to be normal."

Sarah Jane started to laugh. She shook her head as she giggled. She was never not surprised by the ridiculousness of the Doctor.

"What did you tell Haresh?" Sarah Jane asked.

"What was my cover story?" The Doctor asked with a chuckle, raising his brow.

"Yes." Sarah Jane laughed, "What was your cover story?"

"Well, I'm a government scientific advisor, Doctor John Smith and I've been travelling the world with work and finally got back to visit my son. I didn't establish our relationship though."

"Well, I think Gita's already established that apparently we're back together."

"Oh. Well, I guess we'll have to practice a long distance relationship."

Sarah Jane giggled. She could feel her cheeks burning up a little. She took another sip of tea, now feeling better with just having a tea with her best friend.

"So," Sarah Jane sat forward, "Where's the TARDIS?"

"In your garden." The Doctor pointed out the window as he took a sip of his tea.

"What?" Sarah Jane asked, getting up from the table and looking out the window. There it was. That all too familiar blue police box, "Why didn't you come find me?"

"You were out?" The Doctor shrugged.

"You could have waited for me."

"I could but I decided not to."

Sarah Jane chuckled, playing with her fingers as she returned back to the table. The Doctor noticed that once again, she was thinking about something.

"What is it?" The Doctor asked.

"Are you sure there's nothing going?" Sarah Jane asked.

"What do you mean?" He frowned.

"Well, there's nothing coming for us. The Trickster's not... he's not coming back, is he?"

"No." The Doctor stood up, "I just wanted to see you. You know, Luke said the same thing. Apparently, I don't 'just pop in'."

"You don't." Sarah Jane raised her eyebrow. The two giggled. She then looked back up to him, "You promise?"

"I promise." The Doctor took her hand in his, kissing it softly. She remembered how he used to do this many years ago. Sarah Jane felt as though she had been transported back to that time. Until there was a knock on the wall.

The two stepped away from each other as they turned to see Rani standing at the doorframe. She wore a smile and held a textbook in her arms.

"I just wanted to say that I'm going home now." Rani gestured back.

"Uh, yes, of course." Sarah Jane itched her head awkwardly, "I'll walk you to the door."

"It was nice seeing you, Doctor." Rani smiled, "And thanks for our late lunch."

"It was no trouble. I like to spoil my friends from time to time." The Doctor replied.

"You should do it more often." Rani grinned as she subtly gestured to Sarah Jane before turning away, "Bye!"

\- - -

A week later

\- - -

The Doctor walked out of the TARDIS into the Sarah Jane's garden. He smiled to himself as he stepped out, happy to feel the grass beneath him. He then walked out of the garden and walked up the driveway when he heard someone call for 'him' from behind.

"Hi John!" Gita said from across the road.

"Hello!" The Doctor turned with a grin, walking down the drive to stand with Gita who had crossed the street, "How are you?"

"I'm good. Are you back from your travels again?" Gita asked.

"Yeah, I'm back from," The Doctor had to think of somewhere that made sense. Suddenly, he remembered the Brigadier, "Geneva. Yes, I was in Geneva for a couple days."

"Ooh, how lovely." Gita grinned, "I'm sure Sarah and Luke will be happy to see you home."

"Yeah, I'm happy to be back to see them."

"What are your plans for your time back? I'm sure you're going to spoil them both, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't have any set plans but I'm sure something will come up."

"You know, my darling," Gita tapped his arm. She couldn't deny that she wanted an insight of the Doctor and Sarah Jane's relationship and decided this was her chance to get that insight, "Are you free this Friday night? Me and Haresh would love to treat you and Sarah to a lovely night out. Have a break from the kids for a while."

"Oh yeah." The Doctor nodded. He was totally oblivious to what Gita was planning, "That'll be really fun. I'm sure Sarah Jane will love that."

"Great!" Gita grinned, "I'll get things sorted and will let you know the details."

Sarah Jane walked into the living room when she noticed people standing on the driveway. She walked over to the window and noticed the Doctor and Gita. She rolled her eyes, knowing she was going to have to keep up the facade and also get the Doctor away from Gita. Sarah Jane walked through to the front door, poking her head out.

"John?"

The Doctor turned. Sarah Jane gestured him to get inside.

"I'm being beckoned." The Doctor chuckled, "See you later."

"See you later, my darling." Gita smiled before waving to Sarah Jane, "Hi, Sarah!"

"Hi." Sarah Jane waved back to her before letting the Doctor go into the house. They then both went inside and Sarah Jane shut the door behind them, "What have you said this time?"

"Nothing." The Doctor shook his head as he took his trench coat off and hung it up. He then turned to Sarah Jane who had her hands on her hips, "I haven't said anything!"

"Well, what was she talking about then?" Sarah Jane asked, going into the kitchen.

"She just asked how I was." The Doctor followed.

"Uh huh."

"And she also just asked about our plans for me being back 'home'."

"Right."

"And I might have agreed to me and you going to dinner with her and Haresh."

Sarah Jane turned to the Doctor. Totally shocked.

"What?"

"Friday night. Gita says she's gonna let us know the details when everything's sorted."

"Wait, wait, wait! You agreed to us going to a double date with Gita and Haresh?"

"It's only dinner."

"It's a double date, Doctor."

"It's dinner?"

"It's a double date!" Sarah Jane huffed, "You know, they, especially Gita, are going to expect us to act like a couple."

"Well, that won't be hard." The Doctor shrugged as he walked over to her, "We've had a lot of experience before doing that sort of thing."

Sarah Jane just tried to ignore his comment. She knew he meant that sometimes they had to pass as a couple when travelling but it was more than that. She remembered how they were back then. They never really established their relationship but it was always more than friends. He was her life back then and she still felt the pain of waiting for him to come back even now. Sarah Jane looked up to the Doctor finally and he wore a small smile on his face. She wasn't sure if he was thinking the same as her but before either of them could say anything, the front door opened and footsteps entered the home.

"Mum?" Luke called.

"In here." Sarah Jane replied, turning back from the Doctor as she waited for her son to appear at the kitchen door.

"Hi, mum!" Luke entered the kitchen, Clyde and Rani behind him. He stopped when he noticed the Doctor and smiled, "Hi, Doctor! When did you get here?"

"About twenty minutes ago." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets."Oh, and I saw your mum."

"Oh boy, what did she say?" Rani chuckled as she stepped forward and crossed her arms.

"She's invited me and the Doctor on a double date with her and your father." Sarah Jane turned, her hands on her hips.

There was silence and the three teens exchanged confused looks with each other.

"Hold on, a double date with you two and Rani's mum and dad?" Clyde frowned.

"Well, I would say it's more just dinner with friends." The Doctor shrugged.

"That's a double date." Sarah Jane, Clyde and Rani said in unison to the Doctor.

"So are you gonna go?" Luke asked.

"Oh, I don't know, Luke." Sarah Jane replied.

"You should!" Rani encouraged, "It'll be nice for you to get out on the town."

"But Rani, you can't deny that your mum is so nosey though." Clyde turned to her, "Besides, we don't know what the Doctor will say or get up to."

"I'm very good at keeping my mouth shut, thank you." The Doctor crossed his arms.

"Yes, but then you say things like you're Luke's dad." Rani turned to the Doctor.

"Well, it was better than saying I'm a Time Lord." The Doctor replied.

There was a sudden silence that went over them. Sarah Jane started making tea for everyone, deep in her thoughts about everything. Luke could sense this and knew they should probably leave her to be on her own for a moment.

"Do you think she's okay?" Rani whispered to Luke suddenly.

"I'm not sure." Luke shrugged, "I think she's a little stuck about the whole double date thing."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Rani asked, "It is my mum and dad at the end of the day, I know what they can be like. Even my dad can be very nosey." Rani then paused, "Then again, it is your mum. You can get through to her."

"I don't know. I feel like it would be nice for you to talk to her about this stuff." Luke replied, "I'm not very good with relationships like that."

Rani just nodded and smiled. She tapped his shoulder, both of them knowing they needed a distraction to get Clyde and the Doctor out of the kitchen.

"Oh, Doctor, do you want to see Clyde's art?" Luke suddenly asked.

"Oh, yes please!" The Doctor lit up.

"What?!" Clyde asked. He wasn't prepared to showing the Doctor his art.

"Come on, Clyde!" Luke left the kitchen, the Doctor following after him.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Clyde huffed before following after them, "Wait up!"

Rani chuckled when they left the kitchen. She turned back to Sarah Jane who was still making the teas. Rani chewed the inside of her mouth, a little nervous before walking over to Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane was aware of Rani standing next to her but didn't say much, just continuing to stir the teas.

"Are you alright?" Rani asked quietly.

"Mhm." Sarah Jane nodded. She looked up to the young girl and smiled, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Look, I know how mum can be. If you want me to say to her about not going, I can." Rani replied, "I don't want to you to be put into an uncomfortable situation because of something my mum's said."

"No, no. It's okay." Sarah Jane shook her head, "I can't make you do that."

"It's no trouble, Sarah Jane. I could just say that you were busy and didn't get the chance to get back to them."

"Rani, no. It's alright. I think I'm just overthinking everything. I just don't know what I'm going to do with the Doctor."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your mum and dad are going to expect us to be a couple, aren't they?"

"Yeah, mum did decide that for you, didn't she?"

"And I don't know if we should build up a cover story or just go with the flow. You know what the Doctor is like though, for a nine hundred-something year old Time Lord, he can be a little scatterbrained."

"Is that seriously how old he is?" Rani asked, a little confused.

Sarah Jane started to chuckle. She handed Rani her tea and the two headed over to the dining table. They took a sip of their warm tea before Rani started to speak.

"You know, you could always say you and the Doctor travelled around the world. I mean, that's easy! I don't know what you could say about the TARDIS though."

Sarah Jane chuckled.

"Yeah, she would be very hard to explain."

"It could be good for you and the Doctor to get out though." Rani said.

"I guess. I could get a break from aliens for an evening." Sarah Jane then chuckled, "Well, kind of."

"Just the bad ones." Rani giggled.

"Yes, just the bad ones." Sarah Jane nodded.

"What day is it on?" Rani asked.

"Friday." Sarah Jane replied, "This Friday."

"Oh well." Rani shrugged, "You've got a couple of days to prepare. I'll make sure mum doesn't ask too many crazy questions too."

"Thanks." Sarah Jane smiled. She then stared down at her cup of tea for a moment before looking back up, "Rani?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you help me get ready on Friday?"

Rani grinned. Rani could not help but love the moments of normality through her crazy life, especially with Sarah Jane. She was essentially her second mum as well as her mentor. The last time they got to do something like this was the wedding. It was bittersweet thinking back to that time and Rani could sense Sarah Jane was even more nervous about this than she was the wedding. She wasn't sure if it was because it was still so fresh since she lost Peter, the fact it was with Gita and Haresh or the fact she had to pretend to be in a relationship with the Doctor. Either way, Rani knew she had to help Sarah Jane feel confident and that everything was going to be fine.

"Of course I will." Rani smiled, "I can't wait!"

Sarah Jane chuckled as the two hugged.

"Thank you." Sarah Jane said into Rani's hair. She then pulled a way, a shocked look on her face as she started to laugh, "Oh no, those cuppas will be freezing!"

Rani laughed as Sarah Jane shot up to go heat up the others' tea. They soon headed up to the attic, starting to plan for the double date.


	2. Not Just A Facade?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah Jane and the Doctor go on their double date with Gita and Haresh.

Friday

\- - -

Rani sat in a café with one of her friends from school, Lily. They laughed as they talked when suddenly, Rani got a text on her phone. She picked it up and read it. Her eyes widened when she realised was Sarah Jane.

"Where are you?? I thought you were coming with Luke and Clyde. I haven't got long and I have nothing to wear!!" The text read.

"Oh no." Rani stood up quickly, grabbing her jacket. She put it on quickly before taking change out of her pockets, "I need to go. I'm really sorry, I didn't realise I needed to be home before five."

"Oh no." Lily chuckled, "It's alright, I'll get this sorted."

"Are you sure?"

"Pay me back at school."

"You're the best! I'll see you on Monday."

"See you on Monday."

And with that, Rani grabbed her bag and practically sprinted out of the café. She was lucky the café and her high school were so close to Bannerman Road otherwise she wouldn't have made it in time. Rani sprinted up the driveway, letting herself into the house.

"Sarah Jane?" Rani called.

"There you are." Sarah Jane appeared at the top of the stairs in her dressing gown with her hair and makeup done, "Come on, we haven't got much time."

Rani bounced up the stairs and the two went into Sarah Jane's room. Sarah Jane closed the door behind them and Rani was met with Sarah Jane's wardrobe that was wide open with various articles of clothing spread across the room.

"Okay," Rani put her bag down and took off her jacket, "What are you thinking of wearing?"

"I'm not sure." Sarah Jane itched her head. She joined Rani at the wardrobe as she started to look through the clothes, "Nothing's popping out at me."

"Well, surely there's got to be something, Sarah Jane." Rani asked, also looking through her clothes. She then took out a black floral dress, "What about this?"

"Nah." Sarah Jane looked up.

"It's a nice dress though." Rani looked at it.

"But not for tonight." Sarah Jane continued to look through her clothes, almost frantically, "I need something else."

As she looked through the clothes, the sound of the hangers scratching against the rail, Sarah Jane suddenly stopped at a white garment bag. It felt like time stopped as she looked at the unopened bag. Rani turned to her when she realised she had stopped. She was confused at why she stopped at the garment bag but then Sarah Jane unzipped it. It was her wedding dress. Rani's heart dropped. She knew that Sarah Jane probably had not looked at the dress since the wedding. The silence between the two was deafening.

"Are you alright?" Rani asked softly.

"Yeah." Sarah Jane nodded, not turning around. She tried her best not to burst into tears. It was so bittersweet seeing the dress in front of her, "I'm fine."

Rani knew she wasn't fine. Without a word, Rani wrapped her arms around Sarah Jane's shoulders from behind, resting her head next to hers. Sarah Jane closed her eyes, holding Rani's hands. She took in a deep breath, focusing on not bursting into tears. Sarah Jane was so thankful for the kids and was especially thankful for Rani in this moment. But she knew she had to move on for the better. And also get ready in time. Sarah Jane sniffled before turning back to the taller girl.

"Come on," Sarah Jane smiled to Rani, "I don't want to ruin my makeup. We need to get a move on."

Rani chuckled and they continued to look for something for Sarah Jane to wear. Until they found the perfect outfit.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and into the attic as he sorted his bow tie. Luke was in the attic as he looked through a book before he noticed the Doctor step out. The Doctor wore a black tuxedo suit with black converses. He was fiddling with his tie before he looked up to Luke.

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked, spinning around, "Do you think it's good enough?"

"Yeah, I think it's really smart. I'm sure mum will really like it." Luke nodded.

The door of the attic opened to Clyde who carried a tray of glasses with juice in it. He shut the door with his foot before looking up to the Doctor.

"What have you got on?" Clyde asked.

"What do you mean? It's a tuxedo?" The Doctor looked down at himself.

"I know what it is but why have you got on? You're going on a date, not to prom."

"Luke said it looked really smart."

"Luke is not the person you should be going to for fashion advice. Let's remember that he's the brains, I'm the cool and funny one here."

Luke rolled his eyes before laughing. He couldn't deny that was true when it came to their friendship. Luke was not the best with fashion, he just knew when clothes were very, very ugly.

"Right," Clyde put the tray down on the coffee table before walking up to the Doctor. He started to undo his bow tie, "Let's get rid of this and then undo that top button." Clyde then stepped back, "See? You look better already."

"Now I'm ready?" The Doctor asked.

"Now you're ready." Clyde nodded, brushing the Doctor's shoulder a little.

Rani poked her head into the attic, a big grin on her face.

"Doctor?"

"Yeah?" The Doctor looked to Rani.

"She's ready. You two better get going." Rani replied.

"Right. Yes." The Doctor clapped his hands together, "We better get going."

"You're not nervous, are you, Doctor?" Clyde asked in a slight teasing manner.

"Me?" The Doctor frowned. He was (very) nervous, "No. Not at all. It's only me and Sarah Jane. Just two best friends and Rani's mum and dad." He chuckled nervously, "Nothing to worry about. We're all adults." He paused, "I better go down, eh?"

"Yeah." Luke said as Clyde and Rani nodded.

"Right. I'll see you three later." The Doctor said, Rani letting him past as he went downstairs, "Allons-y!"

Luke, Clyde and Rani looked at one another as they laughed. They wondered if he was just saying that to big himself up a little. When they realised he was further down the stairs, the three decided to follow after him so they could get a good look at the two without getting spotted.

The Doctor finally reached the bottom of the steps as he sorted his cuff links. He looked up to see Sarah Jane's back to him, pacing slowly as she waited.

"Sarah Jane?"

Sarah Jane turned and smiled as she saw him. She wore a navy blue midi dress with long sleeves and a slight plunging neckline with a pair of nude coloured heels on her feet. She wore her gold chain he remembered her wearing all those years ago and it was slightly covered by her hair that she had recently started growing out. The Doctor was shocked by how amazing she looked. He always thought that she was the most beautiful thing in this universe and the next, though he never admitted it.

"Are you ready?" Sarah Jane asked, sorting her bag out.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded. He then grinned, walking up to her, "You look incredible, Sarah."

"So do you." Sarah Jane giggled. She felt her cheeks heat up. She then wrapped her arms around herself, "You ready to go?"

"Yes." The Doctor snapped himself out of his trance. He held up his arm for her to take it, "M'lady."

Sarah Jane giggled, taking his arm and the two headed out the door.

"Have fun!" Luke shouted downstairs as they left.

Sarah Jane and the Doctor walked outside, talking quietly as they reached the bottom of the drive. Gita and Haresh were just coming out of their house and walking to the car when they noticed Sarah Jane and the Doctor. Gita waved and smiled to the two.

"Oh, I was just about to come over to you." Gita laughed. She then stopped, walking around the car to look at Sarah Jane's dress, "Ooh, Sarah, I like your new look."

"Oh?" Sarah Jane looked down to her dress. She wasn't one for getting many compliments, "Thanks."

The four then all got in the car. As Sarah Jane was about to get into the car, the Doctor opened the door for her. She looked up to him and smiled, getting in the car as he held her waist gently. Once he got in the car with her, he held her hand through most of the car journey to the restaurant, occasional squeezes to her hand. If this was how they were going to be for the night when pretending to be a couple, she was okay with it. It didn't make her overthink things too much and she was okay with that.

They reached the restaurant and were soon taken to the table Gita had booked for them. When they were sitting at the table and looked through the menu, they discussed what they could eat. Their waitress soon came, all ordering before she took the menus away. Sarah Jane felt the Doctor take her hand as it rested on the table. She looked at it from the corner of her eye. It didn't make her feel uncomfortable but she wasn't sure how seriously he was taking the idea of them pretending to be a couple. Instead of making a thing of it, Sarah Jane just decided to just focus more on what everyone else was talking about at the table.

"So, how did you two meet?" Haresh asked.

"Well, um," Sarah Jane looked at the Doctor. The two had not rehearsed any cover stories or what they were going to say to cover up all the space and time travel side of their relationship, "It was um-."

"We met at a MOD base." The Doctor butted in, "I was working as the scientific advisor for that particular base and Sarah was actually investigating the base's strange pattern of scientists disappearing but somehow, you managed to get in with your aunt's ID, didn't you, dear?"

"Yes." Sarah Jane laughed, "My Aunt Lavinia was a virologist so using that was pretty simple. I did forget that there was some flaws in that plan that John," She tapped his hand, "Soon pointed out."

"So how did you two start travelling?" Gita asked.

"Well, we started to get to know one another and then I got asked to go to Venezuela and I asked Sarah Jane to come with me and soon we were travelling the world. We went all over the place, didn't we?" He smiled to Sarah Jane, his hand on the back of her chair. Sarah Jane struggled to read that look on his face. She wasn't sure if he was just taking his 'role' very seriously or if he felt the way she still did about him. Even after all these years.

"Now, Sarah, my darling, I'm a little confused by something." Gita suddenly caught Sarah Jane's attention, "Your last name? I thought Smith was your maiden name?"

"It is. We just both had the same last names." Sarah Jane chuckled.

"It was quite handy when we were travelling though, pretending to be married to get a room." The Doctor added, "You know what some hotel owners are like."

"What a coincidence." Haresh smiled.

"Oh, we both don't believe in coincidences." The Doctor replied, "I think everyone should have some trust in the universe."

They continued to talk about their 'life', practically being quizzed by Gita at every turn. Sarah Jane was actually very impressed with how the Doctor managed to keep up with the facade. She expected him to have some sort of outburst about Krynoids or the Loch Ness Monster. At one point though, something happened that took Sarah Jane very much by surprise.

The Doctor decided he was going to go to the toilet (which Sarah Jane was surprised at). When he got up, he bent down and kissed Sarah Jane on the lips. It was a soft and quick kiss but it lingered on her lips for what felt like an eternity. She remembered the last time she kissed the Doctor and it was just before she left him all those years ago. Though his body was different, that kiss was still the same. Sarah Jane had been with other people since the Doctor and no kiss compared to his, not even Peter's (though she hated to admit that).

"I'll be back in a minute." He smiled to her. Sarah Jane was thankful that Gita didn't point out her blushing cheeks.

The Doctor soon returned and the dinner was going as normal though, all Sarah Jane could think about was that kiss. Sarah Jane decided to excuse herself, hoping for a moment to herself. She headed to the bathroom, going to the toilet and washing her hands before calling up Rani.

"Hi, Sarah Jane." Rani answered with her usual, cheerful tone, "How's things going? Mum's not asking too difficult questions, is she?"

"No, everything's fine." Sarah Jane said before she paused, "I'm lying. Everything's not fine."

"Why? What's wrong?" Rani asked.

Sarah Jane sighed as she rubbed her forehead. She knew she was going to have to tell her.

"You can't tell Luke or Clyde, okay?"

"Okay."

"The Doctor... kissed me. On the lips."

"He what?!"

"Rani!" Sarah Jane exclaimed. She rubbed her forehead again.

"Sorry." Rani replied. There was a slight pause before she started talking a little quieter, "He kissed you?"

"Yes."

"On the lips?"

"Yes, Rani. On the lips."

"Were you planning on that to happen?"

"No, Rani. You know we weren't planning anything. It was just to act as a couple."

"Well, maybe he's taking his role very seriously." Rani replied, followed by a giggle.

"Rani." Sarah Jane just said, a little sternly.

"I'm sorry." Rani then said, "You know, this could be a good thing, Sarah Jane."

"I'm not sure about that." Sarah Jane replied.

"Rani, come help me with these pizzas." Luke suddenly called in the background.

"Hold on, Sarah Jane." Rani said, "I'll pass you onto Clyde."

"No, it's fine-." Sarah Jane went to say but she was met with Clyde's voice.

"Hey, Sarah Jane." Clyde answered the phone, "How's your date going?"

"It's fine, Clyde. How's things over there?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Meh. We've just got the pizzas in and Luke's beat me five times at Fifa."

"Is that my mum on the phone?" Luke asked in the background, "Hi mum! Hope you're enjoying your date!"

Sarah Jane chuckled. Clyde started to go quiet.

"Rani said the Doctor kissed you."

"I told her not to say anything!"

"Sarah Jane, it's fine. We won't tell Luke, I promise on behalf of both of us. Was it meant to happen?"

Before she could reply, Sarah Jane heard a strange noise from the cubicle behind her. She turned as she frowned.

"Sarah Jane?" Clyde said, wondering why she hadn't answered back.

"Yeah, sorry." Sarah Jane replied, "He um," She heard the noise again, "Clyde, give me a second."

Sarah Jane balanced the phone on her shoulder to open her watch and start to scan. The readings were through the roof.

"Clyde, can you put Mr. Smith on? I need to get him to scan the area." Sarah Jane said, "Get K-9 to do some scans too."

"On it." Clyde replied.

Sarah Jane looked up when she noticed the cubicle door unlock and a little girl step out. Sarah Jane couldn't help but be a little confused. Was she a humanoid who needed help? Was she actually possessed by an alien life form like the Veil? Was she a shapeshifter? Was Sarah Jane's watch needing repaired? A lot of thoughts ran through her mind. She could hear Mr. Smith saying something down the phone to her but she wasn't paying attention.

"Have your sonic lipstick ready." She heard Mr. Smith say at one point, "The life form should have a teleportation device."

"Are you alright?" Sarah Jane asked the girl softly.

The little girl started laugh, almost manically as she shook her body like a wet dog trying to get dry. Slowly, the facade of the little girl flaked away and there stood a Graske in front of Sarah Jane. Her instincts then kicked in and the information she had not been paying attention but somehow absorbed cane into play. Sarah Jane spotted the teleportation device and quickly took out her sonic lipstick, aiming at the device as she pressed the button on her lipstick.

With a flash of blue light, the Graske soon disappeared. Sarah Jane could feel her heart pounding in her chest, unsure of what just happened if she was going to be honest. She went back to her phone.

"Thank you, Mr. Smith." Sarah Jane said.

"You're welcome, Sarah Jane." Mr. Smith replied.

There was then some bickering between Clyde and Rani for who would talk to Sarah Jane again. Rani soon came back onto the phone.

"Are you alright?" Rani said.

"Yeah, I'm fine. A bit of a shock to see a Graske here of all places." Sarah Jane replied, "I better go. We'll be home soon, alright?"

"Yeah." Rani nodded. She then smiled, "You have fun, yeah?"

Sarah Jane couldn't help but smile and soon, she hung up and headed back out to the table. The conversation was flowing just as normal and that seemed to put Sarah Jane at ease. They finally reached the end of the night and Gita and Haresh both went to the toilet whilst Sarah Jane and the Doctor waited in the foyer.

"There was a Graske in the toilets." Sarah Jane said simply.

"There was?" The Doctor turned to her. He then started to chuckle, "I haven't seen one of those in a while."

"Lucky you." Sarah Jane raised her eyebrow.

"What were they doing?"

"Posing as a little girl. Mr. Smith managed to teleport them back to wherever they came from. I'm sure he'll give us the lowdown when we get home."

"I'm sure there is a perfectly normal explanation for a Graske in a restaurant's female toilets." The Doctor put his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels a little.

"Yeah, I bet there is." Sarah Jane nodded.

The two then looked to one another before bursting out in laughter. It was all so ridiculous and they knew that. But here they were. When Gita and Haresh came back, they tried to stifle their laughter and they all headed out to the car. They were all soon back to Bannerman Road and said goodnight.

As the Doctor and Sarah Jane were crossing the road, Sarah Jane was surprised to feel the Doctor drape his suit jacket over her shoulders. She looked up to him as he smiled down to her. She smiled back, unlocking the door and heading inside.

Luke, Clyde and Rani were all on the couch in the attic when the Doctor and Sarah Jane walked in. They heard their footsteps coming up the stairs and the three were very excited to see them, especially Rani. The door opened and Sarah Jane walked in first, the Doctor's suit jacket draped over her shoulders and her handbag in her hands. The Doctor was right behind her with his hands in his pockets.

"Hello." Sarah Jane smiled to the three, "I didn't expect you three to be still up."

"We were watching some movies on Mr. Smith so we weren't really keeping an eye on the time." Luke replied.

"How was your night?" Clyde asked, a grin on his face.

"It was good, eh?" Sarah Jane turned to the Doctor.

"Yes, it was." The Doctor nodded, "You know we should all go to that restaurant some time. The food was amazing! Even better than on the planet Manussa." He then turned to Sarah Jane, "There's another place we need to go."

"Mistress." K-9 trundled over to Sarah Jane.

"Hello, K-9." Sarah Jane turned to the metal dog.

"Have you been keeping guard of the TARDIS, K-9?" The Doctor crouched down to K-9 as he still looked over to the kids, "Those three haven't been messing about with the Old Girl?"

"Negative, Master. Master Luke, Master Clyde and Mistress Rani have been too busy eating pizza and engaging in gossip."

They all laughed.

"Mr. Smith, did you find out who that Graske was?" Sarah Jane turned to the Xylok.

"Yes, Sarah Jane." Mr. Smith replied. He then produced a photo of the Graske Sarah Jane saw, "The Graske is called Tyze and had escaped a Judoon shuttle pod nearby."

"The Graske can shape shift, can't they?" Clyde pointed out, "That's probably why they were like a little girl."

"It was very strange though." Sarah Jane frowned, "Where did you teleport Tyze?"

"I managed to get in contact with the Judoon in charge of the shuttle pod and when you used your sonic lipstick on their teleportation device, it not only teleported the life form back to the Judoon but disable the device as well." Mr. Smith replied.

"With my help too, Mr. Smith." K-9 reminded him.

"Ooh, another domestic!" Clyde laughed.

"Well, if the dog wasn't so annoying, maybe I would give him some credit." Mr. Smith said.

"Be nice, Mr. Smith." Rani warned.

"Honestly, you two are like an old married couple." Sarah Jane crossed her arms, "Can't you get along for once?"

They all laughed before the three teens started picking up the pizza boxes and their empty glasses.

"We better get ready for bed." Luke stood up, "We'll just get all this cleaned up."

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute to say goodnight." Sarah Jane nodded.

"Goodnight, Doctor." Luke said.

"Night, Doctor." Clyde added.

"Night." Rani smiled.

"Goodnight." The Doctor replied with a grin, "Don't let the bedbugs bite."

The three chuckled as they left the attic. The Doctor turned to Sarah Jane who had a slightly disdained look on her face before she laughed.

"Never say that again." Sarah Jane laughed.

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad." The Doctor replied.

Sarah Jane laughed again and put her handbag down.

"I better go down to say goodnight."

"Yeah. Do you want me to do some tea?"

Sarah Jane thought for a moment.

"Yeah. Yeah, that'll be really nice."

"Okay." The Doctor nodded. He tapped her shoulder before going to leave the attic, "I'll go down now."

"Okay." Sarah Jane smiled.

Sarah Jane left the attic too and headed down to Luke's room. Clyde and Rani had made makeshift beds on the floor and the three were talking. When they heard Sarah Jane enter the room, the three turned to look at her.

"You alright?" Sarah Jane smiled.

"Yeah." Luke nodded.

"What was mum and dad saying then?" Rani asked, "Mum wasn't too nosey, was she?"

"Surprisingly not." Sarah Jane replied, "The Doctor did well with all her questions too. I expected him to crack at one point and start talking about aliens or meeting someone back in time."

"Did they mention Androvax?" Luke asked.

"They did." Sarah Jane nodded, "You should have seen his face when Gita explained everything. He looked like he was going to burst from not being able to talk about it."

"I can imagine that actually." Clyde laughed.

"Yeah." Sarah Jane chuckled, "Right, you three better get some sleep." Sarah Jane went over to Luke and kissed the top of his head.

"Night, mum." Luke smiled up to her.

"Ugh, I can't believe you let your mum kiss you goodnight." Clyde scrunched up his face in fake disgust.

"Clyde, we all know your mum kisses you all the time." Luke laughed.

"He's only jealous, Luke." Sarah Jane laughed before she went to kiss Clyde's cheek.

"Ew!" Clyde exclaimed as he wiped his face before laughing.

Sarah Jane kissed Rani's cheek before going over to the door.

"Goodnight."

"Night!"

Sarah Jane headed back up to the attic, K-9 moving past her as he left the attic.

"Night, K-9."

"Goodnight, Mistress."

Sarah Jane chuckled to herself as she went into the attic. She looked up to see the Doctor setting down a tray with cups of tea. He looked up and smiled to her as he sat on the red leather couch. Sarah Jane joined him, kicking off her heels as the Doctor handed her her cup of tea.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They both took a sip of their tea as they relaxed back into the couch.

"Is there anything else you need, Sarah Jane?" Mr. Smith asked.

"No, thank you." Sarah Jane replied, "Goodnight, Mr. Smith."

"Goodnight, Sarah Jane. Goodnight, Doctor." Mr. Smith said.

"Goodnight, Mr. Smith." The Doctor smiled.

The two watched the computer folded himself into the wall. They were both quiet, admiring the surroundings of the attic.

"You know, I actually had a great night tonight." The Doctor turned to Sarah Jane.

She giggled, having another sip of tea.

"Did you have a good night?"

"I did actually. I didn't expect I would."

"You should loosen up more, Sarah."

"Cheek." She hit his arm playfully, "No, I was just so nervous about what was going to be said and if either one of us slipped up a little. I mean it would be hard explaining all of this to Gita and Haresh."

"Of course." The Doctor nodded, "We did well tonight."

"We did." Sarah Jane smiled, clinking her cup against his.

"We make a good team, me and you." The Doctor wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer to him, "But of course, you knew that."

Sarah Jane just chuckled. She then put her cup of tea on the coffee table before settling back in his arms. She was quiet for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing." Sarah Jane shook her head before she looked back at him. She smiled, "You know, it was nice to see you in different clothes. Did the boys help you dress up?"

"Well, it was originally a tuxedo. Bow tie and all but according to Clyde, I looked like I was going to prom." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Why a tuxedo?" Sarah Jane laughed.

"I wanted to impress you." The Doctor shrugged, putting his cup of tea on the table.

"Oh, Doctor," Sarah Jane chuckled, "You always impress me."

"Really?" He turned to her, his wide and slightly manic grin appearing on his lips.

"Mhm." She nodded with a smile.

"Still got it." He shrugged as grinned, running his fingers through his hair.

Sarah Jane just laughed as she shook her head. She played with her hair for a moment, both quiet as they took in their surroundings. They were silent for a few minutes before the Doctor started to giggle.

"What is it?" Sarah Jane turned to him. He continued to laugh, making her laugh too but it made her feel a little nervous, "What?"

"Do you remember how many times we tried to get to Florana and it went pear shaped?" He asked.

"Oh." Sarah Jane laughed with him, "Yes. Too many times."

"We can go now if you like."

"It's a bit late, don't you think?"

"Fair enough." He paused, "You know, you looked beautiful tonight."

Sarah Jane looked at him for a moment. She remembered how the Doctor told her she looked 'incredible' earlier but she didn't think too much of it but as the night went on and he did certain things, it all lingered on her mind more. She thought back to when they travelled together. She loved him and she was sure he loved her though he did have a funny way of showing it (He was an alien at the end of the day).

"Can I ask you something?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Of course." The Doctor nodded.

"Earlier, when you kissed me," Sarah Jane began, "Did you mean it or was it just because of the circumstances?"

"Oh, Sarah." He cupped her face, "You know, I'll always mean it."

Sarah Jane moved in and kissed his lips. They held each other close, kissing for a couple of seconds. As they kissed, it felt like nothing had changed. It was always just the Doctor and Sarah. They broke off the kiss, looking into one another's eyes. The Doctor pushed her hair out of her face, smiling as he looked into her eyes.

"What's going to happen if you regenerate?" Sarah Jane asked softly.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor frowned.

"What will I tell Gita and Haresh if you regenerate? I'm going to have to tell them you're dead, aren't I?"

"Well, this body will be."

"Don't say that." Sarah Jane cuddled into his arms, "I don't want to think about that."

The Doctor chuckled. He kissed the top of her head.

"You were the one that asked. You'll need to tell them that. Or that I'm a deadbeat dad that doesn't see his son although I would prefer just being dead." The Doctor explained. He then started to giggle, "Although, you could always say that my other bodies are your new boyfriends. Or girlfriends. I could be a woman in the next body."

Sarah Jane just looked up to him and giggled.

"What do you think the kids will say?" The Doctor asked, "I mean if they knew about us. If we continue this kissing thing."

"This kissing thing?" Sarah Jane raised her brow.

"Yes." The Doctor nodded.

"I don't know." Sarah Jane shrugged, "They'd probably be happy about it. They've been so nosey about tonight. Especially Rani."

"I wonder where they get it from." The Doctor replied.

"Cheek again!" Sarah Jane hit his chest playfully. She cuddled back into him, taking in his scent as she listened to his hearts beating.

"You know I love you, right?" The Doctor said quietly, making her lift her head to look at him, "More than the rest."

"Yeah." Sarah Jane nodded, "I know." She giggled, "You do have a funny way of showing it though."

"I'm a Time Lord." The Doctor shrugged, "I have a pass for being weird."

Sarah Jane shook her head as she laughed, cuddling into him once more.

"Don't tell any of the others I said that I love you the most by the way. Some might be a little jealous."

"I won't."

Sarah Jane cupped the Doctor's face and kissed him before cuddling into him again. The two then felt themselves started to drift off as they sat on the couch but they did not care. They were just happy to be with each other. Just the Doctor and Sarah. Together.


End file.
